In the Misty Forest, Fars had yet to encounter any living beings, leaving him uncertain about the presence of vengeful spirits. Yesterday, he had accompanied Master Perugino and his companions through the area, and perhaps due to the daylight, they had not encountered any spirits then either. Fars had been tasked with keeping watch during the night, a burden for a vampire, as the night was typically their domain. Yet here he was, reduced to a mere watchdog. He would surely find an opportunity to repay this slight. However, he had to admit that their insistence on daytime travel had allowed him to enhance his ability to withstand sunlight. In the past, he could barely endure the sun for a few hours before becoming utterly exhausted and vulnerable. Now, spending all day under the sun had become commonplace. It wasn't that his magical power had significantly increased, allowing him to maintain a stronger magical shield; rather, his control over his magic had reached a refined level. This was undoubtedly thanks to Master Perugino's guidance; having a mage mentor was a tremendous honor.
However, focusing solely on magical growth was somewhat one-sided for a vampire. The fragility of their bodies could render them as vulnerable as human mages. It was hard to say whether a vampire count was more powerful than a high-tier mage. While Fars had to rely on magic to shield himself from sunlight, a vampire count could withstand it through sheer resilience. If Fars were to one day ascend to the rank of vampire count, he would still be able to wield considerable power even during the day.
Unfortunately, time was both a blessing and a curse. The path to advancement for vampires was heavily reliant on the accumulation of time. The blood of a top-tier magical beast was comparable to that of a noble vampire marquis or duke. Although Fars had consumed nearly all of the Blue Wolf King's blood, it had only enriched his own reserves without directly leading to an elevation in rank. Some unique races could evolve continuously by meeting certain conditions through external energy, free from various restrictions. Just like vampires, humans could not achieve legendary status overnight. However, due to their shorter life cycles, a genius could emerge in just thirty years, while a capable individual could reach their peak in fifty or sixty years. In contrast, the growth of vampires was painfully slow; even those under two hundred years old were considered young among their kind.
These limitations shattered Fars's dreams of rapid ascension to power. He had laid a solid foundation, but it would take time to reach greater heights. Some vampires with impure bloodlines even deliberately suppressed their own advancement to build a stronger foundation at their current stage.
After a day of complete relaxation, Fars knew he couldn't let his guard down entirely. Fortunately, Danis was with him; her perception was far superior to his. She was naturally gifted, with a strong suppressive ability over lower-tier species and those she was adept against, allowing her to avoid many troubles. However, this invisible "Phoenix Aura" had reduced Fars's hunting opportunities, making it difficult for him to catch anything. Fars could only smile wryly at this situation.
With his spirits lifted, Fars shook off his previous fatigue, feeling as if he had undergone a thorough cleansing. His demeanor had become increasingly enigmatic. No longer needing to feign cowardice or greed, his noble air now radiated naturally, leading anyone who saw him to believe he hailed from a prestigious background, rivaling even the Medici family's young elites. One could only wonder if he had presented himself this way from the start, would they have treated him differently? When proud individuals gathered, stability was often a fleeting notion. The clash of races, differing beliefs, and the collision of their auras made the likelihood of conflict quite high.
As he continued to toy with the crystal chip in his hand, he pondered its strange reactions. Following its instructions had yielded results; going against them had also led to outcomes. Was it merely a tool for confusion? That seemed unlikely. Who would create something that prevented entry while allowing safe exit? The mages of the Nesser era were notoriously ruthless—using the term "ruthless" was no exaggeration. The downfall of the Nesser dynasty was closely tied to the gods, but more importantly, it stemmed from losing the people's support. Mages, as rulers, often viewed ordinary people as mere subjects for experimentation. Humans, orcs, elves, dragons, goblins… there was hardly any being they hesitated to dissect, even the lofty gods themselves. Some beings capable of contending with the gods had even sought divine power to explore the mysteries of immortality and life.
It was no wonder the gods were enraged enough to ally with demons and descend upon Elaras, completely obliterating a civilization that had created unparalleled magical wonders. In life, respect was paramount.
There was also a straightforward method: simply fly over. It wasn't that the others hadn't thought of this; it was just that only Fars and Master Perugino could fly within the group, and there was always the concern that Fars might take off on his own. Accustomed to a grounded approach, Fars had momentarily forgotten about this unparalleled advantage. Adaptation was still necessary. The habits from his previous life continued to subtly influence him. Like a blank sheet of paper already filled with words, even if the background changed, the memories could not be erased. One could continue to write new things, choosing to disregard the past, but one could never deny its existence.
With the cover of night, Fars avoided the dense canopy of branches and was able to see a fog-shrouded area at the center of the Misty Forest. He couldn't tell if it was truly fog, but his vision was certainly blurred, making observation difficult.
He attempted to fly directly toward that spot, but after a certain distance, he found himself disoriented, realizing he hadn't moved closer at all. Unwilling to accept this, Fars began tossing dark flame orbs into the forest below, incinerating numerous trees along the way. Just as he felt he was nearing his destination, a wave of confusion hit him, and he found himself surrounded by unburned trees.
The magical formation couldn't possibly be infinite, completely covering a certain area. At least from thousands of meters above ground or hundreds of meters below, there were hardly any formations capable of such extensive influence.
This principle was known to anyone with a basic understanding of magical formations. When faced with an insurmountable formation, one could always bypass it through the void above.
Fars refused to believe that an ancient relic from over ten thousand years ago could completely seal off the airspace. If one hundred meters didn't work, he would simply ascend to two hundred meters. However, he was cautious about flying too high; if he attracted too much attention in the mountains, he might catch the eye of potential predators. At the very least, flying too high would make it difficult to evade Master Perugino and his group's gaze.
The ancient maze set by a master truly was formidable. It wasn't until Fars reached an altitude of over five hundred meters that he finally escaped the influence of the Misty Forest. Looking down, the view was drastically different. It wasn't just the central area that appeared shrouded in fog; the entire forest was obscured, making it easy to feel lost among the clouds.
Since he couldn't see the relic's exact location, he surmised that the center of the formation was likely the control hub of the relic. Flying toward the center seemed like the best course of action. With the direction clarified and being high in the air, he smoothly arrived above the heart of the Misty Forest.
The maze was indeed difficult to crack, but it seemed the ancient protective barrier had collapsed due to a lack of energy support. As Fars descended, he found that while his vision remained obstructed, he faced no attacks or barriers.
North, south, east, and west could easily become confused due to environmental factors, leaving him unsure of what to do. However, descending straight down posed no such issues.
Landing safely on the ground, Fars was greeted by a palace complex that was more than ten times larger than any ruins he had explored in his previous life.
The towering castles stood majestically, with scattered magical towers reaching for the sky, faint magical lights flickering at their peaks. Like a fortress, the Gonsago ruins even had a narrow moat, though the water had long since dried up. Fars saw no signs of a water source nearby; it had likely been thousands of years since anyone had visited, rendering the original source of water irrelevant. The castle's drawbridge lay across the moat, and it was unclear how long it had been since it had last been raised.
There were no signs of recent visitors; clearly, Master Perugino and his group were still struggling to break through the Misty Forest. Fars had some time to explore alone.
Choosing between the castle and the magical tower was a difficult decision. Large ruins typically required more than just mages; they needed support staff and sometimes even military assistance.
Fars had never heard of the Gonsago ruins before, but the architectural style resembled that of a secret base from a bygone dynasty, likely guarded by troops to protect the mages' research from interruption.
The presence of ordinary living quarters implied that the area wasn't particularly dangerous. He decided to leave the magical tower for others to explore later. They would surely overlook the mundane. Knowing he lacked any special abilities, venturing into a mage's tower alone was far too risky.
Even if he waited for them, he could use them as a shield. The castle was vast, and hiding from a single vampire would be quite easy; it would take them a considerable amount of time to find him.
The castle gates stood wide open, and the drawbridge appeared sturdy. In a place with a magical tower, Fars felt no need to be overly cautious, so he confidently led Danis inside.
A thousand years was enough time for many things to weather away. From the outside, the castle still looked well-preserved; the stones used for construction were carefully selected, and despite the ravages of time, it still stood tall.
Inside the city, there were no living creatures left. The orderly arrangement of various buildings made the stone-paved streets feel eerily empty. As Fars walked along the slightly desolate path, he felt as if he had truly entered a fortress, surrounded by the heavy atmosphere of ancient battles. Perhaps this moment of eerie silence would soon be followed by the sounds of clashing swords.